Mechanical manipulators, also known as alignment devices, have been extensively described in the prior art. Note, for example, the U.S. Patent to Conley 3,188,879. In Conley a micromanipulator is described wherein a longitudinal control bar, coupled to a control lever, is disposed above a base plate to manipulate a specimen plate mounted on the base plate. The control bar is supported by a pair of spherical bearings to allow pins, which are affixed to the bar, to produce translational movement of the specimen plate. The actuations of the control lever are reduced to smaller motions of the specimen plate to achieve accurate specimen plate positional control.
In the U.S. Patent to Mladjan 3,204,584 a micropositioner is shown utilizing a double spherical bearing structure. In the U.S. Patent to Grispo 3,396,598 a micropositioner is described using linear slides to achieve the motion of a platform. The structure described in the Grispo reference is relatively complex to achieve the desired platform position control.
The mechanical alignment device described in the U.S. Patent to Zurcher 3,504,566 is a manipulator utilizing a ball and socket joint for achieving translational movements of a platform in a plane while a pulley arrangement provides rotation of the platform. A similar concept is shown and described in the U.S. Patent to Christy 3,768,331. A manipulator for control of a platform located in a vacuum is described in the U.S. Patent to Longamore 3,790,155.